Family Secrets
by ToTheJourney2014
Summary: Two more members of the Swan family arrive in Forks with a secret that rocks Charlie.
1. Chapter 1

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a prologue of sorts to give some background information so it's not really my best story-telling.

It had been seventeen years since Marissa Swan had left her hometown of Forks, Washington, despite the best efforts of her older brother. She had been in love and determined to follow the young man who had captured her heart anywhere he led her. Besides, she had known her big brother had his own life and didn't need her in the way of it.

Charlie Swan had married Renee, the love of his life, and the two of them had been expecting their first child when Marissa had made the announcement that she was leaving Forks with John Morgan. He fought as hard as he could to convince her to stay, even though he had known it would be impossible to change her mind. She was more stubborn than a mule when her mind was made up about something.

John Morgan was a native of Los Angeles, California. He had come to Forks, Washington, on a dare from his friends after they had all graduated high school. He wanted to attend the Los Angeles Police Academy the coming fall instead of going to college. They wanted him to prove he could by spending an entire summer camped out in the woods of Forks. He had met Marissa and Charlie Swan during his second week in the area. Within a month, he was in love. Six weeks later, when it was getting close to time for him to return to Los Angeles, he was asking Marissa to go with him.

To Marissa, it had been an easy decision to make. While she loved her big brother and enjoyed their small community, she had always dreamed of traveling and seeing other places. It only took her a day to convince Charlie that she was making the right decision for herself. She had fallen in love with John almost as quickly as he had fallen for Renee and couldn't bear the thought of staying while John went back home.

John and Marissa had returned to his Los Angeles home with only two day to spare before he had to leave for the police academy. While he was in training, Marissa had stayed in the home he had always shared with his single mother. The two women worked together to plan a simple ceremony, and she and John were married the day after his graduation from the police academy twelve weeks later. Charlie and Renee flew down to Los Angeles and spent the three days before the wedding with them, going back home the day after the wedding while John and Marissa had flown to New York City for their honeymoon.

John and Marissa found themselves a modest two bedroom home only a few blocks away from the one he had been raised in as soon as they returned home from New York City. She enrolled in a local university, receiving special permission to stay off campus since she was married. Their life fell into an easy routine that pleased them both.

During Marissa's sophomore year, she discovered she was pregnant. She worried a little about having and raising a baby while still in school, but she knew she could do it with the help of her husband and mother-in-law. She was constantly worried about John's safety, but she tried to never let it show. She knew her mother-in-law worried as much as she did, and she didn't want to add to the other woman's stress.

John doted on Marissa and the baby, a little girl they named Natasha, spoiling them rotten. When Natasha was three years old, John was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. He was one of the top police officers in an elite drug task unit.

Marissa had graduated from college and was doing her residency at Cedars-Sinai Hospital. The entire family celebrated three years later when she earned the status of Head Attending Physician of Emergency Medicine at the same hospital.

Marissa was on duty the night that John was brought into the emergency room. Natasha was ten years old and staying with her grandma for a few days while Marissa worked the overnight shift and John was undercover on a new assignment. She had let out one scream when she saw him being rushed in before getting herself under control. She managed to get him stabilized to be able to go upstairs for surgery and then had to wait for word while other doctors worked to save his life.

John died on the operating table at four in the morning. He had been shot during a raid on a drug lab.

Natasha was twelve when Marissa started getting sick. It took a year before the cause was finally diagnosed, because the doctors kept diagnosing the wrong things. The diagnosis came two months after her grandmother died from a heart attack.

Marissa had adult onset leukemia, and the prognosis wasn't good. She went through three rounds of intensive chemotherapy and radiation treatments, but nothing seemed to be helping. She and her doctors worked together to find the latest treatments possible to try to push her cancer into remediation.

Natasha spent her days going to school and working part-time at a local diner. She was technically too young to work, but the owner was aware of the situation she and her mother were in and was doing his best to help them out without making it appear to be charity. She took the test and earned her hardship driver's license when she was fourteen so she could do the errands for the house and drive her mother to and from her doctor's appointments. But everything was taking its toll on the teenager, and she knew that something was going to have to change. She couldn't bear the thought of losing her mother. There had to be something they could do.

Natasha was aware that her cousin, Bella, was now living with her father in Forks. She also knew that the sun-loving Bella wasn't exactly happy with the arrangement, but she could understand the reasons behind her cousin's decision. She would have done the exact same thing to make her own mother happy if she had been in Bella's position. Her cousin was the only one that Natasha knew she could really talk to about the situation with her mother since Marissa was adamant that her brother not know any of the details about her medical condition.

As far as Charlie was aware, Marissa was completely healthy and still working her long hours in the emergency room of Cedars-Sinai. He had no idea that her health had deteriorated to the point where she could no longer work. He was going to be in for a huge surprise when the two of them showed up in Forks, but that was the plan that Bella and Natasha had decided would be the best option.

Bella had told Natasha all about Dr. Carlisle Cullen, expressing her opinion that if anyone would be able to help her Aunt Marissa it would be him. The only two hurdles remaining was to convince Marissa that it was the best option and to get the two of them to Forks. Flying wasn't an option, because Marissa wouldn't be able to handle sitting on a plane for the time it would take.

Natasha was going to have to drive. It would take several hours longer than the normal nineteen to get from Los Angeles to Forks because of having to stop frequently for her mother, but she was determined. The two of them were going to move to Forks.


	2. Chapter 2

Natasha glanced over where her mother lay on the passenger seat of their 1999 Honda Accord. She had reclined the seat back as much as it would go, using her own jacket to create a pillow and covering her mom with one of their blankets to try to help make the older woman as comfortable as possible. She sighed as she glanced at the clock on the dashboard. It was only about eight o'clock at night, but she had been driving for a little over ten hours. She knew her mom would never be able to get any real rest unless they stopped for a while. She pulled into an empty parking spot in front of the office of a Best Western hotel and shut off the engine. "I'll be back soon, Mom," she spoke quietly. "I'm going to go get us a room for the night."

"Can I help you?" the man behind the counter inquired, watching as the young teenage girl approached him. He looked around for one of her parents.

"I'd like to rent a room for one night," Natasha requested, reaching into her back pocket to pull out the man's wallet she carried. It had belonged to her father.

The man shook his head. "We don't rent rooms to minors."

Natasha sighed. "It's for me and my mom," she responded. "She's just too sick to come inside." She saw the look that crossed the man's face and sighed again, this time in aggravation. "She has leukemia," she informed him. "It's nothing contagious." She shifted slightly on her feet. "Look. I've been driving for a little over ten hours, and my mom can't take being in the car for very much longer. Please just let us rent a room."

The man still looked doubtful, but he picked up one of the forms the guests were supposed to fill out whenever they registered for a room and stepped around the counter. "I hope your mom is well enough to be able to sign her name. Otherwise there's nothing I'll be able to do." He took a few minutes to help the girl fill the form out in her mother's name and then led her outside, following her over to their car. He watched as the girl gently coaxed her mother awake and got her to sign the form, nodding in satisfaction. "Stay here if you wish. I'll be back in a few minutes with your room key."

Natasha nodded, leaning against the side of the car while she waited. She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed her uncle's number, waiting for him to pick up. She automatically breathed a little easier as she heard his voice. "Hi, Uncle Charlie," she responded to his greeting. "I just wanted to let you know that we're making great time. I'm checking us into a Best Western hotel for the night so mom can get some better rest. We'll leave out early in the morning and should be there by dinner time tomorrow night."

"Sounds great, Tash," Charlie replied. "I'll be sure to let Bell know. She's been looking forward to your visit. He sighed just a little. "I wish you and your mom would tell me what's going on. It's not like her to need to stop this early when traveling."

"Everything's okay, Uncle Charlie," Natasha said, hoping she sounded more truthful than she felt. "I just wanted to come out and spend my spring break with you and Bella, and Mom agreed that it was a great idea." She wanted to wait until she and her mom actually arrived before she told her uncle the whole situation, knowing if he knew the truth he would insist on driving to meet up with the two of them so that he could accompany them to his home in Forks.

Charlie sighed, knowing something was wrong but also that he couldn't push it over the phone. "Give me a holler before you two head out in the morning, and we'll see you when you get here. Love you and your mom, Tash."

"We love you, too, Uncle Charlie." Natasha hit the button on her cell phone to end the phone call and slipped the phone back into her pocket and glancing over as the man from behind the desk came back out.

The man handed her a credit card shaped key. "The two of you are staying in Room one twenty-eight," he stated as he gave her a copy of the paperwork along with the key. He turned around and pointed to the section of hotel that was just to the right of the office. "It's five doors down from here, so you don't have far to go." He offered the young girl a smile. "Be sure to call over and let us know if you need anything at all."

"Thanks," Natasha responded, slipping the key into her pocket and folding the paperwork to put in the glove compartment. She shook the man's hand before sliding behind the wheel to move the car over in front of the room door, helping her mom inside and getting her settled in for the night before unloading their toiletry bag and one of the suitcases from the trunk of the car.

~C~

Natasha slid behind the wheel of the car after getting her mom settled onto the passenger seat and dialed her uncle's number to let him know they were leaving out. "We'll be there by dinner time," she told him before hanging up and backing out of the parking space to start the last part of their trip. She lost herself in the drive, feeling as if she never let out the breath she was holding until she pulled to a stop outside of her uncle's house later that night.

Charlie Swan hurried out his front door as soon as he heard the car pulling to a stop outside. He threw on the porch light and jogged down the front steps to greet his young niece as she was climbing out from behind the wheel. "I still can't believe you're driving," he muttered as he shook his head, pulling her into a tight hug. "You're not old enough."

"It's called a hardship license, Dad," Bella commented as she joined them. "Tasha's been driving for over a year." She moved over to the passenger side and opened the door to help her aunt out of the car.

Charlie's eyes widened as he got a really good look at his sister for the first time in several years. He let go of his niece and hurried forward to help Bella. "What the hell is going on?" he demanded to know. He scooped his sister into his arms and gently brushed the hair away from her face. "Marissa? Can you hear me?"

Marissa groaned softly and closed her eyes again after seeing that they had made it to her brother's house. "I'm fine, Charlie," she replied, her voice thick with sleepiness. "I'm just tired. That's all. Take me inside."

Bella grabbed one of the suitcases and a couple of the bags while Natasha did the same, hurrying forward to open their front door so her dad could carry her aunt inside. She jumped slightly as Edward took the bags from both her and her cousin. She had actually almost forgotten he was there, even though that seemed impossible. She gave him a grateful smile and turned to help her dad get her aunt inside.

Charlie carried Marissa inside and laid her down on the couch, jumping just a little when Edward handed him a blanket. "Thanks," he muttered. He tucked the blanket around his sister and then looked up at Natasha. "I think you have some explaining to do, little girl," he commented as he scooped the teenager into his arms and sat down on his favorite recliner with her on his lap.

Natasha bit her lip as everything that she had been bottling up for the past several years suddenly came boiling to the surface. She trembled as the tears pooled in her eyes and began to spill over onto her cheeks while she buried her face against her uncle's shoulder. "Momma's really sick, Uncle Charlie," she managed to reply in broken whispers. "She didn't want you to know. You know how proud she is." She took a shaky breath. "She's got leukemia, and the treatments they've been giving her this time aren't working to get rid of it."


	3. Chapter 3

Charlie swallowed with obvious effort, staring at his sister's sleeping form as if she was an alien creature. "Leukemia?" he whispered. "Cancer? Are you sure?"

Natasha nodded. "She was in remission for a while, but it's come back and is even more aggressive than it was before." She wiped at the tears on her cheeks and took a shaky breath before glancing over at Bella and Edward. "One of the reasons I insisted we come out here was because I was hoping that Dr. Cullen might be willing to see if there is anything he can do to help her."

"I'll call him right now," Edward responded. He pulled out his cell phone and stepped into the kitchen for a little more privacy so he could speak at his normal speed. He quickly filled Carlisle in on what was going on and then stayed in the kitchen until enough time had passed for it to seem as if he had made his phone call as a normal human would. "Carlisle said he would drop by as soon as his shift is finished at the hospital."

"Thanks, Edward," Charlie replied, rubbing Natasha's back. He glanced at Bella, who was leaning against Edward with her crutches leaning against the wall beside her. "Do you need any help finishing up dinner, Bells?"

Natasha sat up and wiped the tears on her cheeks as she took a deep breath. "I'll fix Mom's dinner. She'll barely be able to get down some chicken broth and toast." She sighed and moved on her uncle's lap to push herself to her feet. "I'm not hungry," she muttered.

Charlie growled under his breath, grabbing Natasha to keep her from getting up and noting how thin she felt under the baggy hoodie she was wearing. "You're eating," he insisted. "You're nothing but skin and bones." He laid her across his lap the way he used to hold her when she was a toddler and napping on his lap. "Get some rest while Bella and Edward finish up dinner. We'll take care of your mother right now."

Natasha sighed and curled up against her uncle's chest, closing her eyes. She was asleep within moments, exhausted from the previous two days of traveling and from years of caring for her mother. While sleeping, her sunken cheeks and the dark circles around her eyes became even more visible.

Bella bit her lip, a worried expression on her face as she stared at her younger cousin. She glanced up at Edward and sighed. "She's so young, Edward. She's only fourteen." She sighed again and grabbed her crutches to go into the kitchen, leaning against the counter after she checked the meat she had baking in the oven. "I can't believe she never told us what was going on. She's had to be dealing with this on her own for years."

Edward reached out and gently caressed the side of Bella's face. "Apparently she has the same stubborn and independent streaks as the rest of your family," he whispered. He pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. "The most important thing to remember is that she's here now so you and your dad can help her out." He pulled back slightly to look down at her. "Does she attend school?"

Bella shook her head. "She's been home-schooled since her father died when she was ten." She took a deep breath and pulled herself out of Edward's arms so she could start fixing the side dishes she had planned to have with the meat in the oven.

Edward stayed quiet as he helped her prepare the rest of the meal. Once everything was cooking, he took her in his arms again. "Why don't we get her enrolled in school here?" he suggested. "It might do her some good to be around other kids." He glanced up and looked toward the front of the house. "Carlisle's almost here."

Bella nodded and grabbed her crutches again so they could go back into the living room. "I'll talk to Dad about it." She glanced over at her dad as they all heard a car pulling into the driveway. "Dinner's almost ready," she told him in a quiet voice so she wouldn't wake up Natasha.

Edward moved to open the front door for Carlisle, putting a finger to his lips. "Charlie's niece is sleeping on his lap," he explained quietly as the two of them stepped into the living room. "His sister, Marissa, is sleeping on the couch."

Carlisle nodded, shaking Charlie's hand and putting his medical bag on the floor in front of the couch. He carefully sat down on the edge of the couch and gently shook Marissa to wake her up. "Marissa? Can you hear me?"

Marissa groaned as she began to stir, whimpering a little in pain. "Who are you?" she questioned as she slowly opened her eyes. "Where's Tash? What have you done to her?!" She started to hyperventilate as she looked around and tried to push herself up, not yet recognizing where she was.

Carlisle spoke in a calming voice as he gently pushed her back down. "You and Natasha are safe, Marissa. You're in your brother's home." He smiled at her. "My name is Dr. Carlisle Cullen. Your daughter asked that I take your case and see if there is anything I can do to help you." He glanced over where Natasha was sleeping on Charlie's lap before looking back at Marissa. "From what I hear, you have a very brave daughter. I bet you're extremely proud of her."

Marissa slowly relaxed and nodded her head. "I am," she admitted in a weak voice. She didn't flinch as Carlisle began examining her and drew some blood from her arm. "Where is she?"

"She's sleeping on Charlie's lap," Carlisle responded and he put the vials of blood he had drawn from her arm into a special container in his bag. "If you will give me the name of the doctor you are seeing in California, I can contact him to get your medical records."

"You don't have to do that," Natasha responded in a thick voice as she pushed herself up on her uncle's lap. "I have copies of her medical records in a bag." She glanced around. "I guess they're upstairs. I made sure to bring them with us." She stood up and hurried up the stairs before anyone could stop her, finding the papers quickly and rushing back down the stairs. "Got them!" she called out, her exclamation ending in a yell of shock as her legs buckled. She crashed down the stairs as she fell, landing in a heap at the bottom.

Carlisle and Edward both reacted, moving quickly to the young girl. As soon as Carlisle verified it was okay to move her, Edward scooped Natasha into his arms and hurried up the stairs to Bella's room. He laid her down on the bed while Carlisle spoke to the others.

"Nothing seems to be broken, but I'll know more once I examine her more closely," Carlisle said to Bella, Charlie, and Marissa. He looked at Marissa. "You stay where you are and rest. I'll make sure your daughter is okay." He turned and went upstairs and into Bella's room, looking at Edward.

Bella gathered the scattered papers together and carried them upstairs to her room while her dad stayed with her aunt. "Here." She handed the papers to Edward. "I don't know if they're in the right order or not." She looked at Carlisle. "Is Tash okay?"

"I'm fine," Natasha stated, trying to push herself off the bed. "Everyone's fussing about nothing."

Carlisle nodded and pushed Natasha back down. "We are fussing, because you're exhausted. You need rest." He looked up at Bella. "Nothing's broken. She'll be fine once she gets some sleep and some proper nourishment." He pretended to sniff the air and then looked up at Edward. "Why don't you and Bella put Natasha's dinner on a tray and bring it up to her. She can eat here in bed and then go to sleep." He gave the young teen a stern look. "I do not want you out of this bed for any reason except necessities until I come back to see you on Tuesday morning."

"But that's in two days!" Natasha exclaimed in a protesting voice. "I can't. I have to take care of my mom."

Bella shook her head. "You have to do what Carlisle says," she told her cousin. "Dad and I will take care of Aunt Marissa and you." She gave her cousin a small smile. "I'll be back in a few minutes with your dinner."


	4. Chapter 4

Bella smiled when she came in from school on Tuesday and found Natasha in the living room on a laptop computer. "Carlisle let you out of bed, huh?" she asked with a grin. "That's perfect timing, because Edward and I have something we want to discuss with you." She moved away from the door to give Edward room to walk into the house, hobbling the rest of the way into the living room on her crutches. "I can't wait to get this thing off," she commented with a grumble as she sat down on the couch beside her cousin. She made a face. "It itches."

"Patience," Edward said in his soothing voice. "If you're clumsy enough to fall down stairs, then you have to deal with the consequences." His eyes were twinkling with mirth as he teased her before leaning over and ruffling Natasha's hair as he sat between the two of them. "You're looking better," he told the younger girl.

Natasha made a face as she ran her fingers through her hair to straighten it back up. "I feel a lot better since I got some rest," she admitted. "Your dad is upstairs with Mom right now." She glanced at Bella. "And Uncle Charlie called a little while ago to say he was going to be late tonight. He's got something he said he had to take care of after work."

Bella nodded. "That gives us even more time to talk," she responded with a grin. She pulled the laptop off of her cousin's lap and put it on the coffee table. "Edward and I have been talking, and we'd like for you to start coming to school with us. It will give you the chance to get to know other kids."

Edward held up a hand when he saw Natasha open her mouth to protest. "I've already spoken to my parents, and my mother would be more than happy to come sit with your mother during the day. She says it will give them the perfect chance to get acquainted with each other." He grinned. "Bella and I already gave the school a copy of your records from your online courses, and they determined you've got enough credits to put you in the junior class with us."

Natasha stared at him for several moments before swallowing against the lump that had formed in her throat. She couldn't believe there was the possibility that she might be able to go back to a public school again. She had been taking care of her mother for so long that she had almost forgotten what it was like to be around other kids. "You've thought of everything, haven't you?" she asked, hoping her voice didn't sound bitter. She was actually relieved they had set things up so that she didn't have to worry about it.

"We tried," Edward answered. He handed her back her laptop. "If you'd like to let your online teachers know, you can come with us tomorrow and start classes." He nodded in satisfaction when he saw her opening up her email account to begin sending messages to each of her teachers, reaching for Bella's hand and giving it an encouraging squeeze.

"You're gonna love Angela. She's awesome," Bella told her cousin. "And she's gonna love you, too." She grinned, looking up when she heard Carlisle coming down the stairs. "How's Aunt Marissa?" she asked.

Carlisle gave Natasha a tender smile. "Strong enough to be asking for some food," he answered. "I don't want her to have anything too heavy yet, though. I'm still running tests to determine how far the cancer has spread and what treatments we might be able to do to try to put her into remission, and I want her to continue to take it easy." He looked at each of them in turn. "I want her to start getting out of bed a little at a time. I've written down a list of exercises I want her to do each day and a list of foods I'm allowing her to have." He passed the papers to Natasha.

"We've talked Natasha into going back to public school beginning tomorrow," Edward informed him. "I told her about Esme's offer to come sit with her mother while we're in classes."

"Excellent!" Carlisle exclaimed. "I'll be sure she is aware of the exercises and the list of foods before she comes in the morning." He looked at Bella. "She'll come with Edward when he comes to pick the two of you up for school in the morning, and I'll pick her up when I come in the afternoon to check on Marissa."

Natasha fidgeted on the back seat of Edward's Volvo, playing with the outfit she had picked out to wear and staring at the students milling around the grounds of the school as they pulled into the parking lot and parked. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," she muttered to herself, chewing on her lower lip. Her eyes were wide as she looked around, nervously tucking her hair behind her ears.

"Relax," Bella responded as she opened the passenger door and got out. She opened the back door for her cousin, reaching in and pulling her out of the car. "You're gonna be fine. I was more nervous than you on my first day, and I had to face it /alone/. You can do this."

"It didn't help that I was in a bad moon that day and acted like a rude bastard," Edward said as he joined them. He slipped one arm around each of their shoulders as the three of them began to walk across the grounds. "Everyone is gonna love you, Natasha." He cringed lightly as he spotted Alice and Jasper heading toward them. "Watch out for the hurricane," he muttered.

"Hurricane?" Natasha inquired, unable to get out anything else before a girl with short spiky hair bounced to a stop directly in front of her.

"Hi!" Alice exclaimed. "You must be Natasha. I'm Edward's sister, Alice, and this is Jasper." She reached back and took Jasper by the hand, pulling him a little closer. "Edward's told us a lot about you." She grinned. "I can't wait to get to know you." She pulled Natasha away from Bella and Edward and slipped her arm through the younger girl's. "I'll take her to get registered and get her schedule," she informed Edward. "You two go on to class. Jasper and I will take good care of Natasha."


	5. Chapter 5

Natasha smiled to herself as she sat on her bed in the bedroom she now shared with Bella. It had been a tight fit, but the two of them had managed to re-arrange the bedroom so there was room for both of their twin beds plus the desk and dresser, which they shared. Her cousin was over at Edward's house, so she had the place to herself. She relaxed back and turned the page of the book she was reading.

"Tash? Are you up there?" Charlie's voice called out. He hung his gun belt up on the hook by the front door and kicked off his boots. "Tasha?"

"I'm here, Uncle Charlie," Natasha answered as she stepped out of the bedroom and to the top of the stairs. "You're home early. Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine," Charlie responded. He smiled up at her. "I'm going to take you and your mother to La Push to meet some friends of mine." He gave her another smile. "Let me know when you're both ready, and I'll come up and carry Marissa out to the car."

"Okay," Natasha responded with a grin. She was a little nervous about getting her mom out of the house, but she also knew that it could be a good thing for her. She sighed as she stood in front of the bedroom closet to try and find something to wear. As she looked, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed Carlisle's number.

"Is everything okay, Natasha?" Carlisle asked as he answered his cell phone. He gestured to the nurse he was working with to finish up as he stepped out of the examination room he was in. "Has something happened to your mother?"

"No. She's fine," Natasha answered. "I just wanted to make sure that it's okay to take her out of the house. Uncle Charlie wants to take the two of us down to La Push to meet some friends of his." She sighed. "I think it sounds like something Mom would enjoy, but I'm worried about it being too much for her to handle in her condition."

Carlisle relaxed, a smile on his face. "That sounds like something that will do both your mother and yourself a lot of good, Natasha. As long as your mother takes it easy and rests as much as possible, she'll be fine. I don't see any kind of issue with her going to La Push with you and your uncle."

Natasha relaxed with an audible sigh. "Thanks, Carlisle. I guess I just needed some reassurance." She hung up the cell phone and slipped it into the pocket of the jeans she put on after she got dressed. She braided her hair and then walked across the hall to her mother's room. "Uncle Charlie is taking us to La Push," she said as she walked into the room. "We've got to get you ready to go."

Marissa gave her daughter a weak smile. "That sounds like fun," she said in a quiet voice. She reached up, wanting a hug. "You look so beautiful."

Natasha sat down very carefully on the side of the bed, leaning over to hug her mother's neck. "You are looking so much better," she whispered in her mother's ear. "I don't know what's in those treatments that Carlisle is giving you, but they seem to be working." She was smiling as she stood up and moved over to the closet to find something for her mother to wear.

"What have I told you about manners, Natasha?" Marissa asked as she pushed herself up into a sitting position. "You should be calling him Dr. Cullen."

Natasha sighed as she started helping her mother get dressed. "I've tried, Mom, but he keeps insisting that I call him Carlisle. He says that Dr. Cullen is too formal for him." She stepped over to the door after her mother was dressed, opening it and calling down the stairs. "We're ready to go, Uncle Charlie."

Charlie hurried up the stairs and over to the bedroom that had once been his. He was smiling as he scooped his younger sister into his arms. "We're going to see Billy, his son, and some of the other members of the tribe," he told her as he carried her down the stairs.

Marissa was smiling as Charlie put her on the passenger seat of his police cruiser while Natasha climbed into the back of it. "It'll be great to see Billy again," she commented. "I haven't seen him since we were kids." She closed her eyes as Charlie began driving but didn't go to sleep. "What's his son's name?"

Charlie kept his eye on the road as he drove, feeling happier than he had since first finding out that his sister was sick. "His name is Jacob. You'll both be meeting our friend, Harry Clearwater, and his wife, Sue, too. They have a daughter named Leah and a son name Seth." He glanced into the rear view mirror and smiled at Natasha. "Seth is your name, Tash, and Leah is seventeen."

Natasha nodded as she kept her eyes on the scenery. Most people didn't seem to like the constant rain in northern Washington, but she loved it. She thought the way it made everything so green was beautiful. She smiled to herself, glad that she had made the decision to bring them to Forks.

Billy and Jacob were waiting for them outside when Charlie pulled to a stop in front of their house. "Charlie!" Billy called out as he watched his friend get out of the driver's side of the police cruiser and open the back door before walking around to the passenger side. "It's about time you get yourself down here for a visit!" He rolled his wheelchair closer to the car as the teenager emerged from the back. "You must be Natasha," he said, greeting her. He motioned toward his son. "This is Jake."

Charlie rolled his eyes as he opened the passenger side door of his police cruiser. "I've been a little busy," he told his friend as he scooped his younger sister into his arms. He was grinning as he straightened back up and kicked the door shut before stepping over in front of Billy. "Look who came home."

Billy lifted his arms up so that Charlie could put Marissa on his lap. "You are looking as beautiful as ever, Marissa," he said as he hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. "Keep your arms around me, honey, and I'll give you a ride." He grinned as he turned his wheelchair around and began rolling the two of them toward the house. "I hope the two of you are hungry. Sue's making a mountain of food over at the Clearwater's house. We thought we'd have a nighttime picnic down on the beach."


	6. Chapter 6

Natasha gave Jacob a shy smile as the two of them worked together in the Black's small kitchen to get glasses of iced tea for the five of them to enjoy before they all walked over to the Clearwater's together. "Uncle Charlie says that you and Bella are really good friends," she commented. She chewed nervously on her lower lip. "Has Bella always been so..." Her voice trailed off as she tried to think of the right word to describe her cousin.

"I think the word you're looking for might be 'obsessed'," Jacob responded with a grin. He leaned back against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest, his grin turning bitter. "She really seems to have a thing for that Cullen guy, doesn't she?"

Natasha didn't miss the sadness in Jacob's eyes that he was trying to hide or the hopelessness that he was trying to let bitterness cover up. "I'm sorry, Jacob." She moved a little closer to the older boy, reaching out and putting her hand on his muscular arm. "You really like her, don't you?"

Jacob blushed. "Is it that obvious?" he asked. He growled a little and straightened up. "We better get these drinks fixed before they think we've run off together or something." His eyes were twinkling as he grinned at her, unable to resist flirting just a little. He turned his back on her and reached up into the cabinet above him to get out five glasses.

Natasha smiled, feeling a little hot as she opened up the freezer and got out the container of ice. She dropped a few pieces into each glass before putting it up and getting the jug of tea out of the refrigerator. She gave him a reassuring smile. "I think you'll be okay as long as you can keep the bitterness out of your tone," she told him. "Or maybe I'm just a little more perceptive, because of some of the things that have happened to me."

Jacob put his large hand on Natasha's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I'm really sorry about your mom," he whispered. When she leaned back against him, he wrapped his arms around her in a brotherly hug and kissed the top of her head. Clearing his throat, he put a goofy grin on his face. "Dad has told me so many stories about your mom and uncle," he told her, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah?" Natasha asked. She turned around in his arms and looked up at him. "Like what?" She blushed and cleared her throat, taking a step back and bumping into the counter.

Jacob shrugged his shoulders, taking a couple of steps away from her. "Just different pranks they pulled on each other and stuff like that. Dad says your mom always dreamed of getting away from here."

Natasha sighed and nodded her head. "She did. She always told me that she left here and never wanted to come back. Uncle Charlie is the only reason she ever did. After Grandma and Grandpa died she said there was nothing left for her here. It's why she jumped at the chance to move to Dad's hometown when he made the suggestion of moving." She sighed and cleared her throat again, picking up three of the glasses of iced tea.

Jacob nodded, taking the hint. He picked up the other two glasses and led the way into the living room, handing one to his dad before sitting down next to Charlie on the couch. "How soon do you want to head over to the Clearwater's?" he asked.

"In about half an hour," Billy replied. He took his glass of tea from his son and held Natasha's for her as she sat down on the end of the sofa beside Charlie.

"You've got a great house, Billy," Marissa commented in a quiet voice. She reached for a photograph that was sitting on the coffee table and studied it closely. "You have a beautiful family, too." She smiled at Jacob as she put the photograph back down. "You look like your mom."

Charlie cleared his throat as he saw the look on both Billy's and Jacob's faces. He drank his glass of tea quickly and stood up. "I think we should go ahead and walk over. We can take a slow walk."

Natasha looked confused. "Did I say something wrong?" she asked, glancing up at her uncle.

"Not at all," Billy answered. He rolled his wheelchair over to the opposite side of the coffee table so that he was next to Natasha and picked up the photograph. Smiling, he gently caressed the picture. "This is the last family picture that was taken before my wife left us," he said, looking over at the young teenager. He wiped a tear from his eye. "A drunk driver ran into her car as she was coming home from work."

Natasha gasped in horror. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know." She looked up at Jacob. "I am sorry, Jacob."

Jacob shrugged his shoulders. "You didn't know," he responded. He finished his tea, too, and took his and Charlie's glasses into the kitchen. He stayed in there a few minutes to make sure he had himself under control. He had began to notice lately that he was having more difficulty than usual with keeping his temper in check. The smallest thing could send him into a rage, and he didn't like it at all.

Natasha stepped into the kitchen a few minutes later and cleared her throat. "Your dad and Uncle Charlie are ready to go. Your dad has Mom riding on his lap again." She laughed softly. "I think she's enjoying the ride."

Jacob laughed, feeling the last vestiges of his anger fading away in response to his friend's cousin. "I bet she is. I used to love them until I got too big." He was still chuckling as the two of them walked back into the living room, and he grabbed the handles of his dad's wheelchair to push him and Marissa over to the Clearwater's house.

"Charlie!" Harry Clearwater exclaimed after opening the door. "We were just about the head out to the cliffs. Leah and Sue have everything just about boxed up and ready to go. If everyone pitches in, we can carry it all in one trip."

"Sounds good to me," Charlie replied as he shook his friend's hand. "Harry, I'd like you to meet my sister, Marissa, and her daughter, Natasha." Charlie glanced at his family before motioning toward the other members of Harry's family. "Sue is Harry's wife and Leah and Seth are their kids. Tash, why don't you go see what you can do to help?"

Natasha nodded, blushing when she saw Seth watching her. She swallowed the small lump in her throat as she stepped over to Leah. "What can I do to help?" she asked.

Leah gave her a tight but friendly smile. "If you could put the plates, silverware, and cups into that wicker picnic basket it would be a great help. Thanks, Natasha."

Natasha smiled, relaxing almost immediately as the four of them worked together to get the rest of the dinner picnic things together while Charlie and Jacob stayed outside with Billy and Marissa. She was laughing and joking with the rest of them as their group walked from the Clearwater home to the top of the cliffs and set everything up for a night of food and fun.


End file.
